Love Stayed Her Hand
by galameowzer
Summary: A strange elleth and her companion arrive in Imladris at the call of a grey wizard. All are curious of her appearance and as she stumbles upon a certain hobbit, her story unfolds. A tale of a warrior, exile, a dragon, and an unlikely ending is told. -This is not a great summary but I promise the story is MUCH better. Honest. READ AND REVIEW!-


**Alright, so this is my first LotR story. If this receives good feedback then I'll expand it into a bigger story. (Which I was planning to do anyways.) This is just the prologue, really. Soooo, anyhow! Enjoy. Read & Review, tell me what you think. Reviews make this girl happeh!**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Lord of the Rings or anything associated with it. I only own my two OCs (Vithogar and the unnamed elf).**

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Allow me to share with you a story of old...

There was an elleth, a she-elf. A warrior was she, but not so hard. She had the bearing of strength yet behind it all lay a soft kindness. Within the battles she fought, with every enemy she struck down, there was mercy. She was the epitome of war but with a grace only she held. She found no joy in her killings, no victories... For truly, there were none. She was unlike others. Her beliefs, her morals were lined with mithril; unbreakable and valued above all else. This made her known across the lands. She was admired and respected. Yet not all agreed with her ways. Many doubted her, ridiculed her...

How was it that she could care for the foulest of creatures? How could she grant the darkness an ounce of light? And all at once, she was crumbled. She no longer held a high position in the eyes of man or elf. One by one, she was cast away until she was forgotten.

This elleth was no fool. She was content with her ways and ne'er would she abandon them. But her exile began to break her. A fire so bright began to dwindle into ash. And in her weakness she sought the comforts of before. She longed for companionship. And so she left to recover her past but was denied. Friends of old turned away in shame, even her king disregarded her... But what little fire she had did not let her surrender. And she held out.

She was rewarded for her relentlessness with a choice: Prove herself a true warrior or lose absolutely everything. It was a given. She had nothing, she was stripped bare years ago. The only path before her was to reclaim her former glory... But it was not so simple. Her task was to slay a beast.

A dark creature, ferocious, and greatly feared. Where destruction is brought with a whip of its tail, storms created with a flap of its wings, and forests uprooted with a single roar. This beast was a dragon. Vithogar. He lay within a stone fortress. None were harmed by this creature for he preferred solitude. Yet the crippling fear of the mere mention of him was enough to wish his death.

Hesitant was the elleth of fully accepting the task, it was truly absurd... But her desperation outweighed her sense. And the deal was set. She left for the southern lands to slay Vithogar. Unbeknownst to her, she was not expected to destroy the calamity. It was a fool's task. All knew of this well. Just as they knew her return was unlikely. She was deceived.

In her travels her chin was held high. She knew the purpose of this quest. It would test her compassion for all living creatures. Either end that which embodies total darkness or fall to the calls of her weak heart. She was determined to destroy the wyrm, but shutting out her true beliefs was trying. At times, she considered turning back from the quest. Her soul begged upon its knees... She was tempted. Her pride, however, won out. And she continued on.

Days upon days flew by, crossing lands and waters alike. And this elleth remained on her path. Never did she stray from it, for if she did, all resolve would buckle. And in her steadfastness, she found herself at the steps of obscurity. A stronghold made of pure stone lay before her. It was a sight to behold and was all but inviting. The elleth's instincts sharpened her senses, pleaded for her retreat. But she stood her ground and proceeded to open the withered gates.

All was black for the shadows clung to every wall and floor. And all was quiet, as if her arrival was expected. She blindly walked through corridors in search of the dragon until she reached a large chamber. Filtered light was shining upon the center and there she placed herself. What little warmth there was offered her clarity. Now, in the place where she was determined to be, she lost her will. Her whole travel was for naught. She was a great warrior, albeit shunned, but her life was worth more than this quest. Her faith, in the end, won over her pride. And she decided then to leave.

Just as she began to turn heel… a clicking was heard, that which talons would make against stone. And out of the shadows came a form so enormous, so fearsome. This was Vithogar. The elleth froze upon the sight. Scales of brilliant ebony covered the beast and his eyes… his eyes rivaled that of adamants. But the elleth did not gaze into them, for they would draw her in… and she would truly be lost. No, she focused solely on her blade held tightly within her hands and the erratic beating of her heart. She would not fall to this beast.

Vithogar was aware of the precautions being taken. All knew of the magic of dragons and the trance they would entrap their victims in. This intrigued him greatly but it rose a fiery irritation within his being. And he emitted a rumbling growl from his gut. No individual had dared challenge him, yet there was a lone she-elf standing before him. Years upon years he lived in stone without disturbing a single soul… no contact with outside forces. And this alone erased the thoughts of instantly killing her. He would instead entertain himself. And into the shadows he retreated.

Fear ran down the elleth's spine. Her vision, no matter how great, was of no use in absolute blackness. She relied on her hearing but Vithogar made no sound. Then, a crack of a whip was heard and she was thrown to her knees. And a flame so strong surged through her veins and she rose and she retaliated. Back and forth they traded blows. And she began to tire. Her swings grew sluggish and heavy. The possibility of her slaying the dragon had never existed. And as her back met the ground, she sent one final prayer to Eru… for her death to be swift.

Vithogar decided then to end their game. He cautiously made his way towards the fallen she-elf and he gazed at her form. And something peculiar happened… he felt an inexplicable pull at his heart. She was left exposed and in that he saw _her_. And he changed his form and he stood over her. He lowered himself to his knees and gazed into her eyes… and _he_ was lost.

All the while, the elleth looked upon him in shock. He was no longer a large dragon… he was similar to that of a man. Scales still adorned his skin, wings lay against his back, and his tail still trailed behind him… but he transformed into something approachable. And when he looked into her eyes, she felt as if she was left bare to him. And in that moment, their souls connected. Her heart swelled and that fire returned and it reached him. She then realized that though her quest failed, her heart triumphed.

Vithogar and the elleth remained united throughout the Age and further. And they were forgotten to all but each other. But all forgotten things creep into one's thoughts and are remembered once again. For nothing can remain hidden for long.

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**'kay! So, I thought i'd give some background on the story. It will be in later chapters but I imagine there might be some confusion. Sooo:**

**The unnamed she-elf is from Mirkwood and she was born during the First Age. She will have a name in the next chapter! **

**The dragon, Vithogar, is a cold-drake (he doesn't breathe fire). But I'd like to think that they have a power to substitute for the lack of fire. So! I gave him the power to change form. **

**That's all I have for now! I hope you enjoyed reading this and please REVIEW. :)**


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